French Antilles
Kadans-lypso (or cadence-lypso) song recorded in 1978 by the group Exile One. The group was founded by Gordon Henderson as was formed in Guadeloupe after Henderson moved there in the early 1970s. Kadans-lypso is a syncretic, creolized musical genre that may be understood as a blend of Haitian konpa (also known as kadans or cadence) and calypso. This recording is from the CD accompanying Guilbault, Jocelyne, Zouk: World Music in the West Indies.
Cadence-lypso song recorded by Exile One in 1979. In Zouk: World Music in the West Indies, Jocelyne Guilbault (1993, xi) states the following:
"By the end of [the nineteen] seventies, cadence-lypso integrated new influences. In this song from Exile One, for example, the bass line has a more funky feel, and the guitar solos are more directly inspired by American rock than most previous songs. The lyrics, as this song demonstrates, are sometimes in English."
"By the end of [the nineteen] seventies, cadence-lypso integrated new influences. In this song from Exile One, for example, the bass line has a more funky feel, and the guitar solos are more directly inspired by American rock than most previous songs. The lyrics, as this song demonstrates, are sometimes in English."
By the group Kassav, circa 1984. The title means "Zouk is the only medicine we have."
In her book, Zouk: World Music in the West Indies (1993:xii), Guilbault states the following:
Zouk "hard" songs have often been associated with Carnival music because of their irresistable dance beat, dynamic rhythms, and percussive arrangements. This association is certainly justified and best exemplified by Tanya St. Val's "Chale," which...dominated the 1987 Carnival in Guadeloupe.
Zouk "hard" songs have often been associated with Carnival music because of their irresistable dance beat, dynamic rhythms, and percussive arrangements. This association is certainly justified and best exemplified by Tanya St. Val's "Chale," which...dominated the 1987 Carnival in Guadeloupe.
This is Eric Virgal's hit recording, "Pa fe mwen la penn" ("Don't Hurt Me"), circa 1988. It is a great example of "zouk love."
This is a 1995 "zouk love" hit by Eric Virgal. The chorus, "Se pa fot mwen" ("It's not my fault") is basically a critique of shallow excuses made by an ex-boyfriend who has betrayed his lover.